With the weather in Switzerland over Easter proving a mixed bag at best, families and individuals across the alpine nation will be happy to hear that the coming weekend will see hot and sunny conditions dominate. What forecasters described as the early arrival of summer will bring highs of 28 degrees celsius to Swiss cities and cantons by Saturday.

Summer to arrive early in Switzerland this week

According to MeteoSwiss, those in Switzerland headed off on school holidays in the coming days will be treated to hot temperatures and sunshine. After what was a tumultuous few days over Easter - which saw heavy snowfall and rain in some parts of the country, and hot temperatures, wind and Saharan dust in others - conditions will gradually start to improve as the week progresses.

On Wednesday, cloud cover will remain dominant during most of the day, with temperatures hovering around 15 degrees. On Thursday and Friday, most of the country will see average temperatures of around 20 degrees, though parts of Valais, Chur, Zurich and Basel should see the mercury rise to 25 degrees.

Highs of 28 degrees celsius forecast in Swiss mountains

The best of the weather is expected to arrive on April 6, with 25, 24 and 23 degrees forecast in Zurich, Geneva and Bern respectively. The hottest conditions will be recorded in Chur, with locals set to bake in 28-degree heat. Sunny and misty conditions are expected nationwide, with little rain.

MeteoSwiss forecasts "summer temperatures" to be reached in most areas. This represents a worryingly early arrival of summery conditions - for example in 2023, temperatures in Basel, Chur and Zurich only exceeded 25 degrees for the first time on May 21. It also follows the news that, much like January and February, March 2024 in Switzerland was far too hot for the time of year.

Looking ahead, sunshine will be replaced with cloud cover across most of Switzerland by the end of Sunday and into Monday. While conditions will cool slightly next week, temperatures of over 20 degrees are still forecast nationwide.